There's no place like home: Miners down Pelicans 49-27 on homecoming night

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By Bill ChoyDaily News Sports Editor

Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA

By Bill ChoyDaily News Sports Editor

Posted Sep. 23, 2013 at 11:41 AM

By Bill ChoyDaily News Sports Editor

Posted Sep. 23, 2013 at 11:41 AM

YREKA

The Yreka Miners varsity football team gave the home fans quite the show on homecoming night on Friday.

Playing in Yreka for the first time this season, the Miners earned a 49-27 victory over Klamath Union of Oregon to improve to 3-1 for the year.

The Miners offense was running on all cylinders as they scored 21 points in the first quarter and 35 points in the first half despite a steady downpour of rain, which subsisted by the start of the second half.

Running back Jacob Maphet bowled over the Pelicans for 168 yards on 17 carries, including a 50-yard touchdown. Signal caller Ty Currie threw for 60 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 74 yards on the ground and a touchdown. Michael Schuler had two touchdown receptions for Yreka.

The Miners were able to bounce back against the Pelicans after losing at the last minute in a 22-21 heartbreaker to Phoenix, Ore., on the road the previous week.

"It motivated us," Currie said about the loss, adding the squad worked hard at practice to make sure things went well on Friday night.

It's always a positive to win on a night like this in front of the home fans, head coach Orlyn Culp said. He commended his team for the way they efficiently ran their offense and were able to steadily put points on the board.

While he was pleased with how the defense performed at times, he admitted more work still needs to be done in limiting points on the board. After all, Culp said, with the Northern Athletic League as strong as ever this season the defense must step up its game if they want to be in contention for a title this year.

Schuler started things off with a bang when he returned the opening kickoff to around the 46-yard line of Yreka. The Pelicans had no answer for the Miners as they cruised down the field. The drive cumulated with Currie connecting with wideout Stevie Albers, who was able to elude Pelicans defenders on his way to a 20-yard score as Yreka led 7-0 after Andy Andreas made the point-after kick.

The Miner defense proceeded to shut down the Klamath Union offense. On 4th down the Pelicans attempted a fake punt and threw the ball unsuccessfully as the Miners gained excellent field position at the 30-yard-line of the Pelicans. A short time later Currie used his running ability to scamper 17-yards for the score with 4:40 left to take a 14-0 advantage after Andreas made the PAT.

A short time later Justin Burch recovered a fumble to give the Miners the ball deep in Pelicans territory. Eventually, the Miners scored again on a 10-yard run by Gabe Durney as the Miners had a 21-0 lead after the PAT attempt with 3:40 still remaining in the first quarter.

Page 2 of 2 - In the second quarter the Miners found themselves in a 4th and 12 situation at the 30-yard line of Klamath Union. Yreka decided to go for it, which proved to be a great move. Currie was able to find an open Schuler, who grabbed the pass and ran in for the score with 8:51 left in the 2nd quarter and took a 27-0 lead after the PAT attempt failed.

Klamath Union finally scored with 6:11 remaining in the half to make things 27-6.

Yreka struck back quickly and less than a minute later Maphet found an opening and scampered 50-yards for the score to make things 35-6.

With 3:46 left in the half, the Pelicans scored again on a 50-yard TD pass as the half ended with Yreka going into the locker room with a 35-13 lead.

The Miners did not lose a step in the second half as Miner senior Quaid Blanchard picked off a pass and gave Yreka the ball at the 9-yard line of Klamath Union. Currie again found Schuler, this time for nine yards as Yreka had a 42-13 lead after the PAT was missed with 9:53 left in the third.

KU scored again a short time later but the Miners responded, cumulating in a 1-yard touchdown run by Thomas Bigelow to give the Miners a commanding 49-20 advantage after the PAT was made. The Pelicans scored on more time in the third quarter to make things 49-27, which was the score when the game ended.

The Miners have a bye this week and are at Modoc on Oct. 4 before opening league play Oct. 11 at home versus Anderson.